Constitutional Reform Unit

Research and analysis about constitutional reform

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Our reputable thinktank underpins and informs public debate about proposals for constitutional reform in Australia.

The Constitutional Reform Unit was established in 2011 to provide objective research and analysis about constitutional reform proposals in Australia at the Commonwealth and state levels. It draws on scholarship across Sydney Law School and the University more widely to provide expert analysis to the public and the media on constitutional reform proposals, to raise the level of public debate on such issues in Australia.

We are a non-partisan body that does not advocate or oppose particular reforms. Instead, we aim to publish rigorous reports that:

explain the background to reform proposals

outline the history and operation of current constitutional provisions

set out comparative material as to how such matters are dealt with in similar countries

explain the options for reform

analyse how they would fit in with the rest of the Constitution and what their likely consequences may be.

The reports published on this site are intended to provide a resource for the media and the public, as well as for the advocates and critics of reform. The objective is not to achieve or prevent constitutional reforms but to raise the level of public debate so that constitutional reform issues can be decided on their merits, not on misconceptions and incorrect assumptions.

We analyseand report on reform proposals at both the Commonwealth and state levels, including proposals for formal amendments to the written constitutions of the Commonwealth and the states and constitutional reforms. These changes are in the broader context of reforms to the institutions of government – the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary.

Wealso undertake joint research projects with similar overseas bodies, sharing Australian expertise and comparative material with other countries undergoing constitutional revisions and reform.